Automation device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an automation device ( 100, 100 ′), in which a multiplicity of physically distributed functional units communicate with each other by means of a common transmission protocol. The device has a microcontroller ( 110 ), which is assigned at least one clock generator ( 120 ) and one memory unit ( 150 ), and which is connected at least to one data source ( 140 ), which is designed to output a data bit-stream to be transmitted.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from German Application DE 10 2005 043481.9 filed on Sep. 13, 2005 the contents of which are relied upon andincorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and the benefit ofpriority under 35 U.S.C. 119 is hereby claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an automation device, with which a multiplicityof physically distributed functional units communicate with each otherby means of a common transmission protocol. These functional unitsmanifest themselves as field devices or operator units according totheir automation function.

For some time now it has been common practice in instrumentation andcontrol engineering to use a two-wire line to supply a field device andto transfer measurements from this field device to a display deviceand/or to an automation control system, or transfer control values froman automation control system to the field device. Each measurement orcontrol value is converted into a proportional DC current, which issuperimposed on the DC supply current, where the DC current representingthe measurement or control value can be a multiple of the DC supplycurrent. Thus the supply current consumption of the field device isusually set to approximately 4 mA, and the dynamic range of themeasurement or control value is mapped onto currents between 0 and 16mA, so that the known 4 to 20 mA current loop can be used.

More recent field devices also feature universal properties that arelargely adaptable to the given process. For this purpose, an ACtransmission path capable of bi-directional operation is provided inparallel with the unidirectional DC transmission path, via whichparameterization data are transferred in the direction to the fielddevice and measurements and status data are transferred from thedirection of the field device. The parameterization data and themeasurements and status data are modulated on an AC voltage, preferablyfrequency modulated.

In process control engineering, it is common in the field area as it iscalled, to arrange and link field devices, i.e. measurement, control anddisplay modules, locally according to the specified safety requirements.These field devices have analog and digital interfaces for data transferbetween them, where data transfer takes place via the supply lines ofthe power supply arranged in the control area. Operator units are alsoprovided in the control area, as it is called, for controlling anddiagnosing these field devices remotely, where lower safety requirementsnormally apply.

Data transfer between the operator units in the control area and thefield devices is implemented using FSK modulation (Frequency ShiftKeying) superimposed on the known 20 mA current loops, where twofrequencies, assigned to the binary states “0” and “1”, are transferredin frames as analog signals.

The general conditions for the FSK signal and the type of modulation arespecified in the “HART Physical Layer Specification Revision 7.1-Final”dated 20 Jun. 1990 (Rosemount Document no. D8900097; Revision B).

ASICs specifically developed to implement the FSK interface according tothe HART protocol, such as the HT2012 from the SMAR company, arecommercially available and in common use. The disadvantage with thesespecial circuits is the permanently fixed range of functions and theassociated lack of flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.

Known modern automation devices are usually equipped with a processingunit known as a microcontroller, which is used to perform the correctdata processing for the automation task of the functional unitconcerned.

The aim is to reproduce the functions of the FSK interface according tothe HART protocol in the controller of the processing unit of theautomation devices, without impairing in the process the automation taskof the functional unit concerned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Hence the object of the invention is specifically to define anautomation device having means for converting an FSK signal into a databit-stream using a microcontroller known per se.

The invention is based on an automation device having a processing unit,which is assigned at least one memory unit for storing instructions anddata. Connected to this processing unit on the transmit side is adigital-to-analog converter whose output is connected to a filter.

To reconstruct the transmitted data bit-stream from the FSK-modulatedline signal, an event-controlled counter is provided. At each zerocrossover of the line signal, the counter reading of the counter isbuffer-stored and the counter is restarted.

The frequency representing the elapsed half-wave is detected from thetime interval between two consecutive zero crossovers, which isregistered by the buffer-stored counter reading, and the associated bitvalue is output. For this purpose, at each zero crossover of the linesignal, an interrupt request is triggered, following which programexecution of the microcontroller is interrupted. After the reconstructeddata bit has been output, program execution of the microcontroller isrecommenced and continued at the interruption point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to anexemplary embodiment. In the drawings required for this,

FIGURE 1 shows a block diagram of an automation device.

FIGURE 1 shows schematically an automation device 100 to the extentnecessary to understand the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The automation device 100 is connected via a communications line 200 toan automation device 100′ of substantially the same type. Thecommunications line 200 is used bi-directionally. The information sentby the automation device 100 is received by the automation device 100′,and vice versa. Hence reference is only made below to the automationdevice 100 shown in detail.

A core component of the automation device 100 is a controller 110, whichis connected at least to one memory unit 150 and one timing element,referred to below as a clock generator 120 for the sake of simplicity.Usually, however, parts of the clock generator 120 are alreadyimplemented in the controller 110.

The controller 110 has connections for connecting a data sink 130 and adata source 140.

A configurable and/or parameterizable sensor for converting a physicalvariable into an electrical variable can be provided as the data source140, in which case the configuration and/or parameterization is the datasink 130.

In an alternative embodiment, it can be provided that the data sink 130is an actuator for converting an electrical variable into a physicalvariable whose properties can be diagnosed. The diagnostic deviceprovided for this purpose is then the data source 140.

In a further embodiment, it can be provided that the automation device100 is part of a higher-level device designed for bi-directionalcommunication with additional automation devices 100′. In thisembodiment, the higher-level device is both the data source 140 and thedata sink 130.

In a further embodiment, the automation device 100 can be designed as a“protocol converter”. In this embodiment, the data source 140 and thedata sink 130 are formed by a second communications system.

To implement the invention, however, it is sufficient for the datasource 140 to be present without the data sink 130.

In addition, connected to the controller 110 is a digital-to-analogconverter 160 whose output is connected to a filter 170. The output ofthe filter 170 is connected to the communications line 200. In addition,the communications line 200 is taken to the input terminals of thecontroller 110, via which terminals it is provided that the line signal201 on the communications line 200 is received.

Starting from the communications line 200, the automation device has ademodulation device 180 at the receiver end. The demodulation device 180essentially comprises a zero-crossover detector for detecting the zerocrossover of the line signal. The output of the zero-crossover detectoris connected to an interrupt input of the microcontroller.

To reconstruct the transmitted data bit-stream at the receiver end fromthe FSK-modulated line signal, an event-controlled counter is provided.

At each zero crossover of the line signal, an interrupt request istriggered, following which program execution of the microcontroller isinterrupted. Program execution of the microcontroller is then branchedto an interrupt processing routine. In this interrupt processingroutine, the current counter reading of the counter is read out andbuffer-stored. Then the counter is reset and started again.

The frequency representing the elapsed half-wave is detected from thetime interval between two consecutive zero crossovers, which isregistered by the buffer-stored counter reading, and the associated bitvalue output. After the reconstructed data bit has been output, programexecution of the microcontroller is recommenced and continued at theinterruption point.

According to a further feature of the invention, a filter is connectedto the input of the zero-crossover detector, thereby removinginterference signals from the line signal.

1. An automation device, with which a multiplicity of physicallydistributed functional units communicate with each other by means of acommon transmission protocol, having a microcontroller, which isassigned at least one clock generator and one memory unit, and which isconnected at least to one data sink, which is designed to accept areceived data bit-stream, and to which is input an FSK-modulated linesignal, characterized in that an event-controlled counter is provided,in that, at each zero crossover of the line signal, the counter readingof the counter is buffer-stored and the counter is restarted, in that adata bit is output depending on the buffer-stored counter reading, andin that, in order to process the counter, program execution of themicrocontroller is interrupted by an interrupt request.